With the conclusion of CMJ just this past weekend (ending on Saturday, Oct. 25), we here at Music Times found an array of bands we couldn't help but fall in love with. One such happened to be HUNDREDS, a "contemporary trip-hop" duo from Hamburg, Germany, made up of brother and sister Philipp and Eva Milner.
After kicking off back in 2008, HUNDREDS quickly succeeded in stealing the hearts of fans all across Germany and Europe. And last week, they were in New York City to tackle a whole new group of fans: CMJ-goers.
Having released their latest album, Aftermath, earlier this year, the band's vocalist, Eva Milner, recently sat down with Music Times to discuss what it's like bringing their music overseas, how the group formed and where she sees them going.
Kyle Dowling: How was your experience at CMJ?
Eva Milner: Our shows were nice! I was really excited. It was a very pure performance and I think people really liked it.
It was interesting because it's New York. No one knows us here. In Berlin or Hamburg, we play in front of very big crowds – 1,000 people sometimes come – but we knew we had to find a way to come here as well.
KD: Is that hard to adjust to?
EM: No, I enjoy it a lot! If you play in a big hall, it's very stressful. You can't talk to people because it's such a big show. You have to make it very visual. I enjoy that as well, but being in a small venue, like we were here, was really about the music and nothing else.
KD: So, HUNDREDS is you and your brother, Philipp. When did you start playing together?
EM: We always played when we were younger. He always played piano so I was surrounded by music from the moment I was born. The band, we started quite late. He wanted to do something with me but I started working as a social worker. I was always a singer as well. Philipp asked me over the years to do a band but I always said no because I'm not a stage person. If I had to make a speech I would feel faint. [laughs]
Finally, when I was 28, I told myself if I don't try it now I will be angry in ten years. It's better to try a dream and fail with glory than never try. Everything worked out very well in the end.
KD: Were you immediately comfortable on the stage?
EM: The good thing is Philipp has had a lot of experience on stage. He was very calming for me. He always told me I was a good performer from the beginning so I began trying to see what worked for me. I'm not an entertainer. I don't talk that much. I really try to be in the music. Then, after 100 concerts or so, I began feeling a little better and started dancing on stage. It became very artsy.
KD: I'm curious, how did you come up with the name?
EM: It's interesting. I had a dream that Philipp and I had multiplied, and I told him the dream, saying we were playing a game and there were hundreds of Philipp's and hundreds of Eva's around, to the point where I didn't know which one I was. After that, Philipp said that should be the name.
KD: Because you and he are brother and sister, there's a bond there. Does that make it harder to work with other artists?
EM: It does. It's something different, but it also allows me the chance to work on my creativity in different ways. It's really good to just open yourself up.
KD: So how would you describe the music of HUNDREDS?
EM: I would describe it as contemporary trip-hop. I've always been a big fan of that music, and Philipp liked it as well.
Our songs don't start with electronics though. They all begin with piano and voice. Pop, of course. The process is different for each song. Sometimes I start writing the lyrics and have a melody and sometimes it's the other way around. He'll have harmonies and I'll come in. It can take a while, depending on the song.
KD: Now that you're doing this as a professional musician, does that or having deadlines at all hinder on your songwriting process?
EM: It does. We had a deadline for the last album but we pushed it back and ended up pushing it six months. And I still feel we could have done more, but I think sometimes the deadline is good. I don't know if any musician gets to the point where they're totally satisfied with their work.
We're fortunate because our record label is a great Indy label from Berlin. They're really good people and visited us in the studio several times and told us to take our time because they wanted it to be good.
KD: Is this your first time playing the States?
EM: We've played at South By Southwest and MUSEXPO. SXSW was overwhelming! We played on a German night; all of the bands were German. It didn't work out that well. [laughs] But that happens.
KD: How do you like performing here?
EM: I really like it but I think I have to go on a tour to get a feeling. I've only played these music industry things. I think it's different if you play club shows. I want to go everywhere! Boston, San Francisco, everywhere!
KD: What's next after CMJ?
EM: We have a tour in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and then a big show in Hamburg, where we're from, as a celebration of the album. Then we get started on the next album!
You can check out HUNDREDS' music on their site as well as their tour schedule. Their newest album, Aftermath, is available on iTunes.
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